aeblog

these guys have it all

well, at least they have Matthew Bellamy. Matthew Fucking Bellamy, to be precise. I don't swear often because I like to reserve it for times when special emphasis is needed. This is one of those times. Holy fucking shit! I went to MUSE last night at Avalon and I swear I never wanted it to end. This was the best show I have seen in years, and it has been even longer since I wanted to jump around and generally make a fool of myself in the presence of hundreds of other raving fans. Had I been given more space, I would have done just that, and would have enjoyed every minute.
As the FNX (or was it BCN?) DJ announced, these guys truly are one of the best live bands playing currently. There are only three of them, yet they exude an energy and the sound of five or six musicians. Matthew Bellamy jumped back and forth between his various guitars and the piano, evoking his own special versions of both Eddie Van Halen and Van Cliburn playing Tchaikovsky with no effort at all. And his voice; this is another matter entirely. Not only is it totally distinctive, but he has nearly the range of Prince and the control of an opera singer.
I realize that I have just made many comparisons to other musicians, but this is simply to try to explain to those of you unfamiliar with MUSE what kind of a talent I am talking about here. I don't want you to think that they are merely derivatives of these likenesses. They go way beyond the sum of their influences, like all good bands do. And Matthew is only twenty fucking six!

I love seeing live shows, and the experiences often profoundly effect my relationship to the music. Typically I do not need to see bands more than once, but mark my words: the next time MUSE is in town, I will be there!

And you should be too.